High and Higher Secondary Schools

Sarah Tucker Higher Secondary School Palayamkottai

In course of time High Schools were set up in favourable centres. To-day there are in the Diocese, 11 Higher Secondary Schools and 3 High Schools. Some of them like the 2 High Schools for Boys founded by the C.M.S. In Palamcottah (1871) and Tirunelveli (1880), Megnanapuram (1891) and their S.P.G. counterparts St. John’s Girls’ High School, Nazareth, the first High School for Girls in the whole of South India (1886), Caldwell High School ) Tuticorin (1883) and Victoria Girls’ High School, Tuticorin (1887)(Picture on inside back cover) have since become Higher Secondary Schools and hit their centuries in recent years.

Later on the burden of starting and maintaining the High Schools has been increasingly taken over by the sponsoring local Churches, the Diocese being responsible for providing the staff and exercising general supervision over them. The local Church very often finds the necessary land, raises the money for the buildings and endowment, and makes an annual contribution towards the cost of running the School. It has its representatives on the Governing Board of the School. Thus the School is knit into the life of the Church, each necessarily having a concern for the other. Students and members of the Staff help in the Church Choir, evangelistic efforts of the Church, harvest festivals etc; and the coming up of a High School has invariably contributed to the prosperity of the local Church and the fullness of its spiritual life.

It is a matter for gratification that our schools have been able to maintain consistently high standards in education. This has been reflected not only in the creditable results in Government examinations, but also in our schools distinguishing themselves in extra-curricular activities. Exemplary hostels and boarding houses, facilities for Scouting, N.C.C. and A.C.C. training, organised sports and games, the School Choir have all been contributing to the development of body, mind and spirit of the several lakhs of boys and girls who have been passing through them.